Temple Gradin (The Movie)

For those who don't know her, Temple Gradin is a woman with autism who grew up in the 50s and became very successful in the cattle business. She went on to write a number of books about autism and is an activist for autism. I have read a few of her books and enjoyed them. She is an excellent writer. This movie is the story of her life from starting with her college years. http://www.amazon.com/Temple-Grandin-Claire-Danes/dp/B0038M2AZA/ref...

Ahh... I see. Well, it's getting five stars everywhere I have looked. I am looking forward to seeing it. I am especially interested in learning more about this thinking in pictures thing that many people with autism - including my daughter - do. I have read about it, but I don't really understand it. I hope the movie will illustrate it in a way I can understand.

It's a truly excellent movie. Claire Danes deserves any and all awards she gets for it. One of those films where you completely forget its Clare Danes and just get into the film and the character.

There's a moment in the film (and this isn't a plot spoiler or anything) that really hit home for me; where one of Temple's teachers figures out her unique learning style and she says, "Well yeah, doesn't everyone learn like that?"

I finally got to see the movie last night. It was excellent! Even my husband who only reluctantly agreed to watch it, loved it. My daughter with autism was very misbehaved through the parts where people are mean to Temple which is her way of not saying she really doesn't like something. She watched intently at the parts where Temple became successful. I cried during the parts where people told her mother her daughter had autism because she was a bad mom. Been there. Done that. It does really hurt.

A lot of biography dramas tend to seriously lack the drama. This one so did not. I can not applaud Danes' performance hard enough - and all of the acting for that matter. The direction did a good job of inviting the audience at times to 'see in pictures,' or to underscore hypersensitive physical senses.

There's another really good film called Ben X. It goes even further in quite accurately replicating some of that sensory overload with jarring cuts, visuals and change in audio levels.

It's a really good movie; even though I have (mild) Asperger's syndrome rather than "classical" autism I still found I could relate somewhat to Temple Grandin's life as portrayed by Danes in this movie. I remember one scene that stuck out for me was her nervously tapping her foot while seated at her aunt's table, very early on in the film...I pointed at the screen and said "I do that!!"

One thing my parents noted is that with Temple Grandin (as Danes plays her), the other characters in the film could tell right away that something wasn't quite right with her, and that more sensitive people might give her a break...whereas for an Aspie like me, who, for all intents and purposes looks/acts (superficially) "normal"...well, that's why it's sometimes called an "invisible" disability.

I try very hard not to judge or feel superior to those on the spectrum more profoundly affected than me. Being mildly affected has its own pitfalls and dangers, and means I'm more likely to be swept up into NT social circles...I sometimes like to say that while they are dancing their "Viennese waltz" of the social dance, the most I can manage is a Texas two-step...it works some of the time, but doesn't *really* fit the music, and starts to stand out after awhile...